Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, December 24, 2010

Pharmaceutical companies paid billions in fines last year for off-label marketing, when drugs are promoted for a use that hasn't been approved by the FDA. But the large fines haven't stopped some companies from continuing the practice.

Settlement advance companies take a gamble on lawsuits, advancing people money for a lawsuit and not asking anything in return if the person loses. But the advance money comes with high interest rates that violate Colorado's limits, and so the attorney general is suing.

It has been a strange year for the economy. The markets are back at pre-recession highs. Companies have reported strong earnings. But unemployment remains high and the housing market is still sputtering. What will the next year hold?

The west African state of Ivory Coast is still without a new President. The old president Laurent Gbagbo has refused to leave office despite losing the election almost a month ago. Now he won't have access to the country's bank account. The Central Bank of West African States decided to recognize his opponent.